Aug 21 2003 I traded my 96 Suburban for a 2003 Excursion, I purchased it from McCotter Ford in Titusville Florida. I would like to know if anyone is having the same problems I am. First the truck was driven 185 miles from Tampa in the rain and was dirty the day I went to take delivery ( was not the smartest thing I ever did ) the salesman told me he would have it detailed the following week. Here are the problems I am having!! The hood is crooked, there are thousands of rust specs in the finish( rail dust), the paint job is orange peel, the rear tail hatch is not painted on the inside and primer is showing thru on the top outside and the two tail hatch doors have primer showing thru, the left passenger door steep area has primer showing thru, the roof leaks over the front passengers head, the front passenger door lock sticks and sounds like it is going to blow up, the cruise control takes off at times when you set it. the engine is the 5.4L and it gets 13.7 in town, and 15 on the highway yuk! what happened to 15 in the city and 18 highway. If you drive over 2,000 rpms it will not get over 15.5. I drove it from Florida to Texas and from Central Florida to the Keys and have about 4500 miles on it and have tried to stay off the gas as much as I could and that is the milage it gets, same trips on my suburban I got 19 in the Keys and 20 on my trips to Texas. What I saved on gas I spent on new Transmissions on the Chevy. I have had the Ford rep ( what a dope ) looked at the truck and he said it is common in the manufacturing of the Vehicle. They want to give the truck a acid bath, use a clay bar, then cover with a sealant. I have been in the boating business for 20 years, so am not buying that. The acid takes the rust color out, the clay bar polishes it, and the sealant covers the metal specks that are still in the clearcote untill it wears off in 12 months and the rust all comes back, then the paint warranty is over and its now my job to repaint the truck. The acid will play havoc with with sealants, plastic,and rubber products on the truck, did I mention the roof rack already leaks! Because the problems are common with Excursions they will not repair the New 2003 Ford Excursion. When I was in Houston Texas for my Cancer treatment I went to Smith and Reberts Ford and looked at a new 2004 Excursion, and it had the Rust, crooked hood, no paint in the tail hatch, same stuff wrong! Also the dealership were I purchased my truck had a Excursion Limited same problems!

 

First and foremost, if you think you're going to save gas by purchasing the 5.4 liter V8, you're sadly mistaken It isn't the best way to go if you're looking for great fuel economy. The 7.3 or 6.0 Powerstroke is the way to go if you're looking for better fuel economy. The V-10 even gets better mileage than the V8. As for the dealership that you went to in Houson, Smith and Reberts Ford, I've never heard of them. The people you should have gone to such as: Planet Ford, Tomball Ford, Lonestar Ford, Texan Ford, Joe Meyers Ford, and Champions Ford. You would have been treated better had you gone and visited one the these dealers. They will do what it takes to please you with a little bargaining. So long as you are firm and you don't let them push you around, you'll get what you want. Check with a few of them and see if things don't change.

 

I think you missed the point of the post, the gas milage is small potatos. The ford dealership is near the Astro Dome. Anthony

 

I haven't seen these problems here in NY. Could the paint problems be environmental, something that would only appear in the southern states? We have serious acid-rain damage to paint here that I know you wouldn't see in TX or FL. Just a thought.

And who ever told you that the Excursion gets 15-18 MPG? There are NO fuel-economy ratings on the Excursion from the EPA. 12-15 is what our customers are telling us.

 

Is your paint job orange peel? All of the Fords all models are orange peel. Ford claims the rust spots are rail dust! Landon Tucker the Ford Rep here in Florida said that the problems I have are common with all Ford Excursions, right down to the crooked hood and primer showing through in the same spots. I was at a meeting a week ago this past Thursday with the Ford Rep. and GM and Service Manager, along with two examiners from the Florida Department of Trafic Safty. He made the same statements to them also. The GM also said that they had removed the Maronie Sticker from my X befor I received the truck. The Salesman at the dealer ship showed my wife and I a report he said was from Ford that quoted the milage was 15 city 18 highway. At this point the AG of Florida, the US AG, the Department of Highway Safty, BBB, and Senator Bob Graham has contacted the FTC. and a side note the owner was arrested for drugs. In the last few weeks the Door locks stopped working, the cruise control when set, keeps excelerating when you push the off button for the cruise control the engine shuts off. While in front of the two examiners the GM denied me warranty service. Like I said the gas milage is small potatos. Anthony

 

I'd say it's time to consult a good lawyer about lemon laws. Sometimes just the treat of a law suit will get their attention.

 

In order to use the Lemon Law, you have to have the Truck worked on 3 times, the dealer McCotter Ford has denied me warranty service, that is why I contacted Florida Department of Motor Vehical Safty. They are the folks that License the Dealer Ship. The other dealers in the area ( 40 miles ) tell me to get the X fixed where I purchased it. Now that they were stupid enough to say they refused Warranty on the Truck while the two examiners from the Department of Motor Vehicals were present, I will be able to seek legal action against McCotter Ford and Ford. This has been going on for 4 months. I am a cancer patent and I have to drive from Florida to Houston Texas MD Anderson Cancer Hospital for treatment, so I really don't have time for all this bull. I need a Truck that works. Anthony

 

Forgive me for chopping your statement, but the dealer who sold you your X probably (or more than likely) knew that the vehicle was a lemon. If you haven't already put two and two together, that's why they've denied you your warranty service. Seeing as your're in litigations with your dealer and Ford in general, I offer one suggestion: TAKE'EM DOWN! As far as I and many other people on this forum are concerned, they should have cut you a deal on a different or newer truck instead of putting you through all this. Do what you must, but don't stress or kill yourself!

 

Was this a NEW truck? If so they have no choice but to service it, you have a warranty right? 3yr 36K miles. Any dealer should work on it, the warranty is from the manufactuer not the dealer, Ive always wondered about how (how much) Ford pays dealers for warranty labor, but they do pay them.

As for the gas, jeez my Explorer and Ranger both get 17, and 13-14 vs 15-16, whats the difference? Its all bad, but not unexpected.

what does 'orange peel' mean?

Good luck with the truck and the treatment, I hope both work out.

 

The dealer I use charges $80/hr labor and they LOVE warranty work so Ford must pay them pretty good if not the whole $80/hr.

 

Since this gentleman has been able to enlist the help of several Florida government agencies, the BBB, AND the United States Senate, I would suggest that those of us at FTE leave this "sleeping dog lie," so to speak. I'd hate to think that one of us would become entangled in a legal dispute in an attempt to help someone. My gut tells me that there's another side to this story that we're not hearing.

 

I agree, we should just let this sleeping dog lie.

 

What else is there to hear? I purchased the Truck Aug 21, 2003 new. The Paint is orange peel, rail dust in the paint, parts of the truck have primer showing thru, the Hood is crooked, the roof leaks, the door locks do not work, the cruise control when pressed the truck excelerates and will not shut off when you step on the brakes and when you press the off button the for the cruise control the engine stopes ( no power stering or power brakes doing 80 miles an hour not fun ) tires not ballaced correctly. The Morooney sticker not on the window or in the Truck when I purchased it. When I went back to the dealer I was told he would not fix it. Also the dealer sent a letter to the department of Motor Vehicals and stated it would not fix the truck, Dunken Alderson of the Ford motor Company Corp. office told me today that The Ford Motor Company did not have a obligation to the consummer to make a dealer ship honor a warranty. If they do it to me they will do it to you, 1956 Mark 11 and Toreador_Diesel you sound like a couple winnies. watch out you might get in trouble with father Ford. If I get rid of this thing I will never buy another American made Vehical. Orange peal is when the paint has a lumpy finish like an orange or a golf ball. All the Fords 2003 and 2004 have orange peel paint Jobs some worst than others. In the last 4 months I have learned a great deal about Fords, and People. Anthony

 

Well, you have your opinion and I'm glad to see you're not afraid speak it. No offense taken here!

 

I hope you get your problems resolved. Don't give up until you do. It sounds like you have a number of powerful agencies working with you,

Before we get others involved here at FTE with legal issues I am going to close this thread.

Good luck!